H1777 H1777
To judge, render a legal verdict; to contend or strive; to defend someone's cause; by extension, to govern or rule.
One of the principal Hebrew verbs for the exercise of justice, closely synonymous with שָׁפַט but with its own distinctive coloring. When Jacob blesses Dan, he says the tribe 'shall judge his people' (Gen 49:16)—a wordplay on the name Dan itself, which derives from this root. The verb ranges from formal adjudication to personal advocacy (defending the poor, Prov 31:9) and even governance (Zech 3:7). Arabic cognate دَانَ carries meanings of 'obedience' and 'governance,' hinting at the authority that undergirds all judgment.
1. judge, adjudicate — The core juridical sense: to act as judge, to adjudicate a case and render a verdict. This dominates the occurrences, from God judging the nations (Gen 15:14, Deut 32:36) to human courts (Jer 22:16). The cross-linguistic unanimity is striking—Spanish 'juzgar,' Hindi 'न्याय करना,' Arabic 'يدين,' and Korean '심판하다' all converge on formal judicial action. The famous naming-etymology in Genesis 30:6 ('God has judged me') anchors the sense in covenant narrative. 18×
AR["أَدِينُ","اِقْضُوا","حَكَمَ","دَانَنِي","لِـيَدين","لِيَدِينَ","مَنْ-يَحْكُمُ","يَحْكُمُ","يَحْكُمُوا","يَدين","يَدينُ","يَدِينُ"]·ben["-ন্যায়বিচার-করতে","তিনি-বিচার-করবেন","তিনি-বিচার-করেন","প্রতি-বিচার","বিচার-কর","বিচার-করব","বিচার-করবে","বিচার-করবেন","বিচার-করা","বিচার-করেছে","বিচার-করেছেন","বিচার-করেন","সে-বিচার-করবে","সে-বিচার-করেছিলেন"]·DE["Dan","[דינו]","[דנו]","[ידין]","[לדין]","er-richtet","er-wird-Richter","gerichtet-hat-mich","möge-er-Richter","richte","richtet","wird-Richter","wird-richten","zu-Richter"]·EN["He-judged","He-will-judge","Judge","he-judges","he-will-judge","judged-me","judges","judging","may-he-judge","shall-judge","they-judge","to-judge","will-judge"]·FR["--juger","Dan","fera-juger","judging","jugea-moi","juger","juges","à-juger","ידין"]·heb["דינו","דן","דנו","דנני","ידין","ל-דין"]·HI["न्यय-करुनग","न्याय-करता-था","न्याय-करता-है","न्याय-करने","न्याय-करने-को","न्याय-करे","न्याय-करेगा","न्याय-करो","न्याय-किया-मेरा","वह-न्याय-करेगा","वे-करते"]·ID["Ia menghakimi","Ia-akan-menghakimi","Ia-mengadili","Ia-menghakimi","akan-menghakimi","ia-membela","lakukanlah-keadilan","menghakimi","menghakimi aku","menghukum","mereka-membela","untuk-menghakimi","yang-membela"]·IT["Dan","egli-judges","fara-giudicare","giudica","giudicare","giudico'","giudicò-me","judging","shall-giudice"]·jav["Gusti-Allah-ngadili-kula","Panjenengan-ipun-ngadili","Panjenenganipun-badhé-ngadili","Piyambakipun-badhé-ngadili","badhe-ngadili","ingkang-ngadili","kangge-ngadili","ngadili","umat"]·KO["-심판하기-위해","그가-심판하신다","그가-판단하였다","심판하려고","심판하리라","심판하셨다-나를","심판하시리라","심판하지","심판한다","판단하는-자가","판단하라","판단하시리로다","판단하시리이다"]·PT["Julgai","Julgará","Julgou","Julgue","julga","julgam","julgando","julgará","julgou-me","para-julgar","quem-julgue"]·RU["Будет-судить","будет-судить","да-судит","судил","судил-меня","судит","судите","судить","судить-буду","судят","судящего","управлять-будет"]·ES["Juzgad","Juzgará","Juzgó","juzga","juzgando","juzgaron","juzgará","juzgó-me","para-juzgar","quien-juzgue"]·SW["Alihukumu","Atawahukumu","amenihukumu","anahukumu","anayetetea","ataamua","atahukumu","hukumu","hukumuni","kuhukumu","nitahukumu"]·TR["Hükmetti-bana","Yargıladı","hükmedecek","savunacak","savunan","yargilamak-icin","yargıladılar","yargılamak-için","yargılar","yargılasın","yargılayacak","yargılayacağım","yargılayın"]·urd["انصاف-کرو","انصاف-کرے-گا","انصاف-کرےگا","انصاف-کیا-میرا","سنتے","عدالت-کرتا-ہے","عدالت-کرنے","عدالت-کروں-گا","عدالت-کرے-گا","فیصلہ-کرتا-تھا","لِ-عدالت-کرنے","وہ عدالت کرتا ہے","وہ-عدالت-کرے-گا","وہ-فیصلہ-کرے-گا","کوئی"]
Gen 15:14, Gen 30:6, Gen 49:16, Deut 32:36, 1 Sam 2:10, Job 36:31, Ps 7:8, Ps 9:8, Ps 50:4, Ps 72:2, Ps 96:10, Ps 110:6 (+6 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
2. contend, strive — To contend, strive, or quarrel, often in a legal or adversarial setting. Genesis 6:3 uses it of God's spirit 'striving' with humanity, and 2 Samuel 19:9 describes the tribes 'contending' among themselves. Spanish 'contender' and French 'strive' confirm the shift from neutral adjudication to active dispute. The Nifal reciprocal form reinforces this mutual, back-and-forth quality of striving. 3×
AR["مَعَ-","مُتَخاصِمًا","يَدُومُ"]·ben["থাকবে","বিতর্ক-করছিল","বিবাদ-করতে"]·DE["contending","soll-streiten","zu-Gericht"]·EN["contending","shall-strive","to-contend"]·FR["--strive","contending","à-לדין"]·heb["ידון","ל-דין","נדון"]·HI["झगड़ते-हुए","रहेगी","लड़ना"]·ID["akan-tinggal","bertengkar","untuk-bersaing"]·IT["contending","per-a-contend","shall-strive"]·jav["badhe-dados","bebantahan","kangge-padu"]·KO["다투기를","다투며","다투할-것이다"]·PT["contender","disputando","permanecerá"]·RU["будет-пребывать","спорящий","судиться"]·ES["contender","contenderá","contendiendo"]·SW["haitatawala","kushindana","wakibisha"]·TR["kalacak","tartismak","tartışıyordu"]·urd["بحس-کرنا","جھگڑ-رہے","رہے-گی"]
3. defend, vindicate, plead cause — To defend, vindicate, or plead someone's cause—judgment exercised not neutrally but on behalf of the vulnerable. Proverbs 31:9 commands 'judge and defend the poor,' and Psalm 54:1 pleads 'vindicate me by your might.' Spanish 'defiende' and 'júzgame' bring out the advocacy dimension. This sense represents the compassionate face of justice—the judge as champion of the wronged. 2×
AR["احكُم-لي","وَ-حُكْمَ"]·ben["এবং-বিচার-করো","বিচার-কর-আমাকে"]·DE["und-Gericht","vindicate-mich"]·EN["and-defend","vindicate-me"]·FR["et-ודין","juger"]·heb["ו-דין","תדינני"]·HI["और-न्याय-कर","न्याय-कर-मुझे"]·ID["dan-belalah"]·IT["e-e-defend","giudico'"]·jav["lan-mbela"]·KO["그리고-변호하라","심판하소서"]·PT["e-defende","faze-me-justiça"]·RU["защити-меня","и-защищай"]·ES["júzgame","y-defiende"]·SW["na-tetea","unitetee"]·TR["ve-savun","yargıla-beni"]·urd["اور-حق","اِنصاف-کَر-میرا"]
4. govern, rule — An extended sense of governing or ruling, where judicial authority shades into administrative sovereignty. Zechariah 3:7 promises Joshua the high priest that he will 'govern' God's house. Spanish 'gobernarás' (you will govern) and Korean '다스리리라' (will rule) both depart from juridical vocabulary to express political administration, showing the natural extension from courtroom to throne room. 1×
AR["تَدِينُ"]·ben["বিচার-করবে"]·DE["[תדין]"]·EN["will-judge"]·FR["juger"]·heb["תדין"]·HI["न्याय-करेगा"]·ID["akan-mengadili"]·IT["[תדין]"]·jav["ngadili"]·KO["다스리리라"]·PT["julgarás"]·RU["будешь-судить"]·ES["gobernarás"]·SW["utahukumu"]·TR["yargılayacaksın"]·urd["عدالت-کرے-گا"]
Related Senses
H4941 1. justice, righteousness (134×)H4941 2. judgment, judicial decision (119×)H4941 3. ordinances, statutes (plural) (110×)H8199 1. to judge, adjudicate (98×)G2919 1. judge, pass judgment (76×)H8199 2. judge (person, office-holder) (61×)G2920 1. judgment / condemnation (48×)H7378 1. Qal: quarrel, contend, strive (42×)H4941 4. prescribed ordinance, regulation (34×)G1832 1. it is lawful, it is permitted (32×)G2917 1. judgment, condemnation (27×)G2919 2. be judged, stand trial (27×)H5360 1. vengeance, retribution (27×)H7378 2. Qal: plead, defend, litigate (22×)G2723 1. accuse, bring charges against (20×)G2923 1. judge (one who judges/decides) (19×)G2632 1. condemn, pass judgment against (18×)H1576 1. recompense, retribution (17×)H5359 1. vengeance, retribution (17×)H7561 1. condemn, declare guilty (Hifil) (17×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† דִּין vb. judge (cf. Arabic دَانَ intrans. to be obedient, submissive, trans. requite, compensate, rule, govern, دِينٌ obedience, abasement, recompense, دَيَّانٌ requiter, governor, مَدِينَةٌ city; Assyrian dânu, Impf. idı̂n, judge, Aramaic דָּן (יְדִין, יְדוּן) Syriac ܕܳܢ (ܢܕܽܘܢ) judge, exercise judgment, punish, דִּיָּינָא, ܕܰܝܳܢܳܐ judge, דִּינָא, ܕܝܻܢ judgment, ܡܕܝܺܢܻܬܳܐ city;—on √ ע״י v.…